What Connects us.
Personal Rituals
Valediction of Faith.
Members of the Temple often bid each other farewell with the Valediction of Faith. The right hand, fingers clasped and with the palm inward is first placed over the heart, then the lips, and lastly the head before being raised into the air. This is a reminder of the shared bond between them and a message that says “I keep you in my heart, my words, and my thoughts”.
Liturgy of Connection
Members are encouraged to commune as practical to review and discuss recent events in their lives. This can be done as often as a weekly basis, and while it has no set format, often this is done by a reading of the Five Keystones as a filter against their discussion topics.
Ritual of Introspection
Similar to the Liturgy of Connection, when a Member is unable to commune with others, they can still undertake the Ritual of Introspection to consider their recent past against the Five Keystones and how they can continue to better themselves.
Ritual of Community
This is the Holy Grail of Paraclism - the Ritual of Community encompasses all actions taken by Members to engage with and improve the communities they belong to.
Our Holy Days
New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Day is celebrated on January first. This marks a new beginning and a renewal of our vows of faith in Paraclism and all it teaches us. Most often, Members are encouraged to think about what they would like to accomplish in the coming year. These can be as challenging or as simple as each Member prefers. There is no penalty for failing here, this is an exercise in reflection as much as it is about improvement.
Most effective methods of expanding on these goals include creating an outline of actions that are desirable in reaching the desired goals. Even better are plans with timelines and checkpoints.
Members are encouraged to share their goals and plans with others, which helps strengthen those familial and friendship bonds, and gives each goal setter added support in reaching their checkpoints and proudly sharing their progress throughout the year.
The Midway.
The Midway occurs during the first week of July, at the midpoint of the year. It is a celebration of life and a time to take stock of our progress in the year. Friends and family are encouraged to gather outdoors and take a chance to enjoy the outdoors as well as spending time with one another.
The Mass.
The annual Mass occurs during the last week of the calendar year, and abuts New Year’s Day. As the name suggests, Mass entails friends and loved ones coming together, and in assembling share a break during the holiday season, and exchange food and gifts, while reflecting on the year past.
Some Members tend to stick to a customary gift exchange, but because this is about connection rather than material possessions, we celebrate our faith by bringing us together in thought and discussion. Each adult delivers a sermon or a presentation to the group. This is a purposeful way to connect with, and show one another, the things that are close to our hearts, the things we truly care about.
The format is flexible, and we do anything from offering their thoughts on the religious climate around the world, offer a how-to workshop on their favorite activity, detailed update on their life, a favorite story delivered with force and verve, a performance or demonstration, a ‘Q&A’ session or facilitated discussion about something in our lives, the possibilities are endless.
Through this re-conceived gift exchange, Paraclism puts the focus firmly on what matters — on people, not objects; on building connections and rapport with each other; and on family togetherness. It’s also lots of fun, and best of all requires no last-minute shopping.